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As L.A's most, if not only, successful playwright, Peter McGowan
(Kenneth Branagh) has hit a creative dry spell. After a string of
box office flops, his new play is set to open, but the script isn't
finished. McGowan decides to workshop the production, and in the
process has to navigate a minefield of egos, feuding actors, and
showbiz politics, ever cynical of the schmooze and cruise scene
his producer insists on dragging him into. With his producer and
cast insisting the ten-year-old character in the play doesn't ring
true, he is challenged to develop a "real" child and finds
himself blocked.
At home, his wife Melanie (Robin Wright Penn), a children's dance
instructor, would like a child of her own, but Peter isn't ready
for more distractions; he has his play to complete and his art itself
to resurrect. Besides, his perpetually confused mother-in-law (Lynn
Redgrave) is living with them and dealing with her is yet another
challenge. On a good day she recognizes Peter as someone who resembles
her son-in-law; at other times she chats with him about her imminent
death. Peter also realizes he is being stalked - by a fan who thinks
he's the real Peter. He reaches the brink of insanity when the neighbor's
new dog starts barking in the night, exacerbating his insomnia.
When a recently separated woman and her young daughter Amy (Suzi
Hofrichter) move next door, Melanie recognizes an opportunity to
assuage her husband's awkwardness with children. Peter sees an opportunity
to craft that "real" child for the play. Peter comes to
enjoy hanging out with Amy and his observations turn into something
approximating genuine affection. But a falling out between Peter
and Amy's overprotective mom, Trina, puts an end to their friendship.
By the time he is forced to say good-bye to Amy, his life has changed
- subtly to be sure - but changed nonetheless.
How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog veers from cynicism to affection
and back again on issues such as creativity, fame, impotence, homelessness
and physical handicaps. At its core, Neighbor's Dog is about the
power of words - how they are used creatively, deceptively and,
at times, dangerously; and how seemingly innocuous statements can
have dire consequences, and as words often censured are harmless
in the end when weighed against those used in haste and anger. And
it is how words can be manipulated, bent and shaped to serve the
purpose of the narrator employing them to tell a story.
***************
"How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog" is written
and directed by Michael Kalesniko (Howard Stern's "Private
Parts"). Kenneth Branagh ("Hamlet," "Celebrity")
stars as playwright Peter McGowan. Robin Wright Penn ("Sixth
Sense," "The Pledge") stars as his wife Melanie.
Lynn Redgrave ("Gods and Monsters," "Shine")
portrays Edna. Jared Harris ("Happiness," "Lush,"),
David Krumholtz ("Liberty Heights," "Ten Things I
Hate About You"), and Johnathan Schaech ("Time of Your
Life," "Hush") also star. Executive producer is Robert
Redford with Avi Lerner, John Thompson and Willi Baer serving as
co-executive producers. Nancy M. Ruff, Michael Nozik and Brad Weston
produce. Director of photography is Hubert Taczanowski. Stephen
Lineweaver is production designer, Pamela Martin is editor, Mary
Claire Hannan serves as costume designer and David Robbins is the
composer.
***************
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Lonsdale Productions
Writer/director Michael Kalesniko says, that although his script
is not based on a true story, certain elements of it were gleaned
from his own frustrating encounters with a detestable canine menace.
"The truth is, my wife and I lived next door to a barking dog
named "Baby," Kalesniko confesses. "It was a white
mongrel, an awful thing. So I made it a joke that I was going to
write a book called "How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog and Other
Acts of Suburban Terrorism" and that just started becoming
the title. I thought it would make a great title for a movie but
I didn't know what the rest of the story was at that point."
Michael Kalesniko and his wife, producer Nancy M. Ruff, first met
while in film school. Ruff says she just "clicked" with
Kalesniko's writing and wanted to help him realize it on screen.
After forming their own company, Lonsdale Productions, the two worked
on a number of projects, including Kalesniko's award-winning short
"Algorithms." They also began making plans to shoot "How
to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog" in their own suburban backyard
in Glendale, California. They intended to finance the feature themselves,
but, over a three year period, other players came to the table.
"Three years seemed like a long, long time," reflects
producer Ruff. Making the film she says was like the old adage about
starting a parade. "You walk down the street with a flag by
yourself and all of a sudden everyone starts falling in behind you.
It seemed like the minute we said we were going to do it, it all
just started to happen. It has been really exciting." Kalesniko's
agency CAA got behind the project, then Robert Redford's South Fork
Pictures came on board and Millennium Films agreed to finance it.
Millennium Films
Millennium Films is a division of Nu Image, which has produced many
action films for the foreign market. Millennium Films was created
to make independent films such as "How to Kill Your Neighbor's
Dog," intended for theatrical distribution.
South Fork Pictures
South Fork Pictures was established to be the independent entity
of Robert Redford's film company, Wildwood. Since its inception
in 1995, South Fork has focused on emerging talent from the world
of independent film and theater, as well as working with established
filmmakers and writers seeking to make films outside of the regular
studio system. It has produced "She's the One," and "Slums
of Beverly Hills." In the future is "Nine Scenes About
Love."
With South Fork and Millennium backing "How
to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog," writer/director Kalesniko says
he was thrilled to cast Kenneth Branagh in the lead role of L.A.
playwright Peter McGowan. "Every first time director should
be this lucky," says Kalesniko. "When he did a take, so
many times I just walked up and said 'thank you.' He did such a
wonderful job. He really nailed the character. He said to me at
one point when we first met - 'you know you haven't realized, this
character is me.'”
Branagh, has been honored with Academy® award nominations for
his performance in and direction of "Henry V," and for
his film adaptation of "Hamlet." He most recently directed
and starred on screen in "Love's Labour's Lost." He has
received an Emmy® award for his starring role in "Conspiracy."
Branagh says he was attracted to this script for many reasons, mainly
that it was so well written. Speaking of his character in the film
Branagh says "Peter is described as a curmudgeon, certainly
acerbic, and certainly cynical. Much of this is a defense and protection
against the world and against his own feelings which he, with a
certain amount of British reserve, feels rather embarrassed about
revealing. Many people are like this. They use a certain not so
subtle form of aggression, sometimes a kind of verbal bludgeoning.
He kind of bludgeons people with his intellect which I suspect is
not as sharp as he thinks it is. It makes him complicated and I
think compelling. Even if only compelling sometimes because you
want to shake him. But in a way, the film is about that happening
to him. He is shaken by events in his own life that surprise and
transform him and I think it is an excellent part of Michael's writing
without being cliche or sentimental.
"People get driven mad by all the little things
in life," continues Branagh, "like the tops of coffee
cups that don't work properly. That is the kind of thing times a
thousand that Peter McGowan goes off on a rant about. It is amusing.
You see him sort of lose control in a way and I think you get a
precarious kick out of enjoying him say all the things perhaps you
would never say because you would be scared or think people would
be bored, but he goes ahead and says them. I think, and I hope a
lot of people who see it identify with a man raging against all
the silliness in life. Even though he is perhaps one of the silliest
things in his own life but he doesn't say that which is also funny."
Robin Wright Penn stars opposite Branagh as Peter's wife Melanie.
As an enthusiastic dance instructor, she loves to be surrounded
by children and she longs to have a child of her own. Wright Penn,
who made her motion picture debut in "The Princess Bride,"
earned world-wide notoriety and a Golden Globe nomination for her
work in "Forrest Gump," opposite Tom Hanks. She has been
recognized for her outstanding performances in such varied projects
as "She's So Lovely," "Loved" and for her starring
role as "Moll Flanders."
"I like the idea of casting against type,"
says director Kalesniko of his decision to cast the popular actress.
"Robin brings such an enormous warmth and humor to this character."
"Robin has the touch for a terrific light comedian as well
as being highly intelligent," says Branagh, who says the two
hit it off on the set, which translated well on camera. Of their
on-screen relationship, Branagh says: "This is a very successful
marriage in the sense of them being utterly committed to each other.
But it is very normal in the sense of often irritating each other
immensely and having spats at times. There needed to be a lot of
trust between the two actors and I think we managed to develop that.
"A rather courageous element to the script is the lack of concern
to make the central character utterly sympathetic at all times,"
adds Branagh. "I think that makes it much more real. I don't
know many saints and Peter McGowan certainly isn't one. But I know
that for all his flawed human nature, there is something there that
comes out of the script that Melanie recognizes. I think it makes
Melanie seem intelligent, sometimes stoic, but you get the sense
of why they are together by the end."
Lynn Redgrave, one of the most respected performers in the entertainment
industry stars as Melanie's mother, Edna. A multi-award winning
actress, Ms. Redgrave most recently took the spotlight winning a
Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for
"Gods and Monsters." She is known for being extremely
versatile and says this past year offered her a wonderful variety
of characters to portray, one of the most interesting being the
role of Edna in "How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog."
"I think this is a really funny and wonderful script,"
says Redgrave. "In fact, I assumed it had been written for
Ken (Branagh) when I first read it. Apparently it wasn't written
with him in mind but it could have been because I can't imagine
anyone else playing it, quite honestly."
As a woman battling Alzheimer's, Redgrave's challenge as Edna was
to portray a very real character with serious medical problems,
with warmth and humor. "Edna is kind of behind a screen in
a way," explains Redgrave. "She is behind a gauze because
she is losing it. She usually doesn't know who her son-in-law is.
Obviously she once did, but they have a kind of really lovely relationship
because in the moments of lucidity it is a very fond one. It is
probably the only relationship that you see Peter being able to
actually sort of deal with to begin with."
Redgrave says that her most enjoyable scene, where Edna kept getting
lost on her way to the McGowan dining room, required no dialogue.
"In filmmaking, there is something fascinating about trying
to express something by thinking it," she reflects. "If
you think it clearly enough something will happen. Maybe your face
changes color or something happens that is very small, that simply
cannot be seen. I am not saying you can't do that on the stage,
but just thinking it will not necessarily make it plain to the audience.
You usually have to find something physical in a way that builds
it up so that the person in the back row senses, perhaps even in
the body language that thing; that on film can sometimes be done
just by thought."
"Lynn did a wonderful job," comments director Michael
Kalesniko. "We were talking about the bed scene - that to play
it, there is a moment where she is aware, just for a moment that
something is wrong and once you have awareness the awareness is
big. In that bedroom scene the fear in her eyes was so immense;
she absolutely did play it with her eyes all the time. She was just
fantastic to work with."
Johnathan Schaech was cast as "Adam" the insecure, but
opinionated leading man in Peter's struggling production. "It
was a real stretch," laughs Schaech. "I am an actor, being
an actor," he smiles. "I went to a lot of actors who are
real actors and asked them a lot of questions about being an actor
to get some insight to prepare for the role. I interviewed so many
actors and let me tell you something about actors - they are all
so wrapped up in their own little worlds ....geez."
In choosing this role Schaech says: "When they told me it was
with Kenneth Branagh and Robin Wright Penn, I got on my knees and
I prayed like I have never prayed before, and here I am -it worked."
Luckily the producers of Schaech's television series at the time,
"Time of Your Life," were accommodating and scheduled
his series around this project.
"This is one of the funniest scripts I have ever read,"
says Schaech, "the first time I read it, the second time and
the third time I read it. I went home for the weekend and when I
read it again, it was just wonderful -a very funny script, very
intelligent; something very bright."
Of his character Schaech says that Adam is not "the boob"
he appears to be. "He is a lost, needy soul, Adam is. He is
coming from a world where he is under-respected and searching for
respect and very much wants to be appreciated for the actor he thinks
he is. He is used to doing soaps and now he is getting really good
quality material to play with. He is so excited. He wants to be
so good.
"My character is watching Peter, trying to be Peter, because
he is realizing that he is the writer and he is writing about himself,"
Schaech continues. "So he tries to pick up some traits so he
can perform and find something to play with. But then there is another
layer that he is a writer/director so that Kenneth playing Peter
has to watch Michael (Kalesniko) because he's the writer/director,
because he is the writer of the play as well as the writer of the
screenplay. It is just so complicated," laughs Schaech. "Everyone
is everyone else. It's just intermingling. It is unbelievable."
In searching for the actress to portray young Amy Walsh, director
Michael Kalesniko gambled on a relative newcomer to the industry,
ten-year-old Suzi Hofrichter. Although she had done commercials
and several photo shoots, she had only one television movie on her
resume -Sally Field's "The Christmas Tree."
Bright, outspoken and at times, fearful, the character of Amy is
an only child in a single parent household. Although she has a mild
physical disability, Amy's handicap is more of an emotional nature,
fueled by the undermining remarks of her overprotective mother.
"It turned out to be perfect casting," says Kalesniko.
"Suzi is an absolute gem, and I know everybody on the set was
not only amazed with her natural talent but they truly loved this
girl."
"Suzi is a natural actress," agrees Kenneth Branagh. "She
seems to have a natural aptitude for the screen. And because the
relationship between the two of us was so important to the story
- that it should be convincing and in the end quite deep, it was
very important that we in some way strike up a rapport. We did.
I loved working with her and having her around. She provided a really
terrific input into the picture and lifted it. She was a joy to
act with."
Of his character's decision to open up to Amy, to finally connect
and help her to let go of her inhibitions, Branagh says "Peter
definitely engages in and executes the consequences of his opinions.
It is a dangerous thing, but he is full of opinions, including in
this case, of how this lovely little girl from next door is being
brought up. It is debatable as to whether or not what her mom is
up to is absolutely great for that kid or any kid, and he gets involved.
In a way, you start to understand why he, perhaps, does protect
himself through cynicism and satire and sarcasm a lot of the time
because were he to let this rather complicated, richly feeling individual
out, it would often, as it does at the end of this film, get him
into trouble. But that is part of the conflict and part of the drama
which makes him nice and messy as so much of life is."
In designing the film, understanding the central character of Peter
McGowan, portrayed by Branagh was essential. Cinematographer Hubert
Taczanowski worked closely with production designer Stephen Lineweaver
and costume designer Mary Claire Hannan to create a recognizably
English ambiance.
"Everything is through Peter's point of view," explains
director Michael Kalesniko. "Peter is an anglophile and it
should always be Britain in Peter's mind. We were shooting an L.A.
winter but we shot it in a way that you felt like you always needed
to put on a sweater. We absolutely threw out the typical California
color palette and have gone with nothing but the British Isles color
palette - darker and cooler. Everything more saturated."
Instead of being set in the writer/director Michael Kalesniko's
grassy backyard in California, as he envisioned when the script
was originally created, the film shot in and around Vancouver, Canada,
where the seemingly endless rain ceased at times convenient to the
shooting schedule, providing bright "California" sun in
addition to the appropriate moody gray cloud cover.
Oddly enough, one of the biggest challenges for the location manager
was trying to try to find a house in Vancouver that could exist
in L.A.; a house with a pool. "I didn't really think how scarce
pools might be; pools there are not the norm," comments production
designer Stephen Lineweaver. "We actually talked about scenarios
about how we could give it up, but the director did not want to.
Our location manager was extremely good and he came up with this
place which actually had six palm trees and other various L.A. trees
around the pool and an office that was incredibly interesting, which
is the soul of Peter's character in the movie." In a landscape
dominated by Douglas Firs, pine and deciduous trees finding a palm-treed
oasis was no small feat. The next challenge was to add a few scenic
elements reminiscent of Los Angeles. "We built a little hamburger
stand on a strip that looked much like Ventura Boulevard,"
Lineweaver explains. "We happened to get a sunny day, and that
helped us in a big way. We had a whole week of night rain, which
in my opinion is something we wouldn't have had in L.A., which serves
the kind of surreal scenes of Peter and False Peter and their journey
together."
Vancouver's Cypress Bowl Ski Resort was booked as a. location. "In
L.A. when you get up on Mulholland Drive there's a sea of light,"
Lineweaver continues. "That was the closest thing we found
to that feeling. But of course, on the day of shooting it was clouded
in and we wouldn't have seen anything. We had to punt." The
production ended up moving to Queen Elizabeth Park, with its incredibly
beautiful gardens built within a long dormant volcano. Although
the altitude was much lower, the desired lighting effect came across
on film.
Kalesniko says he and his design team went for a very different
and somewhat jarring look when Peter is in the theater. As a playwright
in L.A., he is at times totally out of his world. "The colors
are bright; they are dazzling," explains Kalesniko. "There
are far too many lights. Peter is uncomfortable. It is one of the
few moments in the movie we shot handheld so that we are also feeling
a bit overwhelmed by him and are feeling nauseated or seasick. The
feel is completely crowded and claustrophobic."
Vancouver's Vogue Theater provided the backdrop for Peter's play
in rehearsal. In creating the look of the film's theater scenes,
production designer Lineweaver relied on his own personal experience.
At the time he was producing a stage production in L.A. and says
the trend in live theater now is somewhat minimalist. "That
was a little jewel for me; being able to do what I've seen and appreciated
over the last year in L.A. It has been fun to be able to design
a theater set within a movie.
"L.A. is not Peter's personality," Lineweaver continues.
"The colors of the interiors that surround Peter are evident
of his personal comfort level in that situation. In Debra's Corner
(during the television interview) we used poppy colors that don't
really suit his personality. We used different colors when he's
in the proctologist's office and the peach pink room (in the gynecologist's
office) where he's looking at posters of female interiors. That
was fun to find visuals that were so opposed to who he is."
Of the final product writer/director Michael Kalesniko says, "I
have no expectation of the audience except that I hope they will
laugh a lot, they will cry at the end and that they will walk back
to their cars whistling Petula Clark tunes."
"I hope they will be entertained and moved," adds Kenneth
Branagh. "I think it is very smart, highly intelligent writing,
and unusual in the way that it depicts grown up relationships. It
is very funny and has quite an emotional punch at the end. You can't
ask for more than that."
***************
ABOUT THE CAST
Kenneth Branagh (Peter McGowan)
Kenneth Branagh has made a significant impact in motion pictures
as an actor, director, writer and producer, appearing most recently
on screen in Woody Allen's "Celebrity" and Robert Altman's
"The Gingerbread Man."
Branagh studied at England's Royal Academy of Dramatic
Arts and made his professional debut in the hit "Another Country,"
followed by several other plays. He then joined the Royal Shakespeare
Company, where he performed in "Love's Labors Lost," "Hamlet,"
" King Lear" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
After making his film debut in 1987 in "High Season,"
he appeared in "A Month in the Country," and then directed,
adapted and starred in the critically acclaimed "Henry V,"
for which he received BAFTA and National Board of Review Awards
for Best Director. He then directed and starred in "Dead Again,"
produced, directed and starred in "Peter's Friend;" and
appeared in "Swing Kids." He starred in, directed and
adapted Shakespeare's " Much Ado About Nothing," starred
in and directed "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," directed
and wrote the screenplay for "In The Bleak Midwinter";
narrated "Anne Frank Remembered," starred opposite Laurence
Fishburne in "Othello," and produced, directed, adapted
and starred in "Hamlet."
Branagh received an Academy Award nomination in 1992 for Best Live
Action Short Film for "Swan Song." For his work on "Henry
V," Branagh received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and
Best Director, as well as the European Film Awards' Felix Award
for Best Direction, Best Actor and Best New Film. For his work on
"Hamlet," Branagh received an Academy Award nomination
for Best Adapted Screenplay. For "Othello," he was nominated
for a screen Actors Guild Award as Best Supporting Actor. In 1993,
Branagh received BAFTA's Michael Bacon Award for Outstanding Contribution
to Cinema.
Branagh's recent acting credits include 1997's "The
Proposition," "The Theory of Flight" and the upcoming
"Alien Love Triangle," the last directed by Danny Boyle.
He is currently working on a musical film version of "Love's
Labors Lost."
Robin Wright Penn (Melanie McGowan)
Since her motion picture debut in "The Princess
Bride," Robin Wright Penn has enjoyed a distinguished career,
garnering worldwide acclaim as one of the most interesting and versatile
actresses in the industry. In 1997, Wright Penn received prestigious
award recognition for her leading roles in two films: for "She's
So Lovely" (co-starring Sean Penn and John Travolta), she earned
a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion
Picture; for "Loved" (co-starring William Hurt), a special
presentation at the Toronto Film Festival, Wright Penn won the Best
Actress Award at the Seattle Film Festival and received an Independent
Spirit Award nomination.
Wright Penn was most recently seen in the independent film "Hurlyburly,"
directed by Anthony Drazen and co-starring Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey,
Meg Ryan, Chazz Palminteri and Anna Paquin. Prior to her performance
in "Moll Flanders," Wright Penn co-starred with Tom Hanks
and Sally Field in the international box office hit "Forrest
Gump". which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Her other
credits include "Toys" (directed by Barry Levinson and
starring Robin Williams), "The Playboys" (directed by
Gilles MacKinnon and starring Albert Finney and Aiden Quinn), "State
of Grace" (directed by Phil Joanou and starring Sean Penn,
Ed Harris and Gary Oldman), "The Crossing Guard" (directed
by Sean Penn) and "Denial" (starring Jason Patric).
Lynn Redgrave (Edna)
After almost four decades, Lynn Redgrave remains
on top of her profession. Already this year, Redgrave has completed
work on the features "Deeply," co-starring Kirstin Dunst,
"Venus and Mars," directed by Harry Mastrogeorge and John
Schlesinger's "The Next Best Thing," co-starring Madonna,
Rupert Everett and Benjamin Bratt. Other recent film credits include
"The Simian Line," with Samantha Mathis, Cindy Crawford
and Harry Connick Jr., "The Annihilation of Fish," co-starring
James Earl Jones and Margot Kidder and "Touched," directed
by Mort Ransen.
London-born Redgrave studied at the Central School of Music and
Drama in London before making her professional debut in the Royal
Court Theater's 1962 production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
The following year, she helped found Britain's National Theater
(now the Royal National Theater) under the tutelage of Sir Laurence
Olivier. Her first feature film was the bawdy "Tom Jones,"
shot the same year that she made her Broadway debut in "Black
Comedy" with Michael Crawford. From there she landed the film
role that launched her into the international spotlight "Georgy
Girl." For her outstanding performance, she won a Golden Globe
for Best Actress, the New York Film Critics' Award and an Academy
Award nomination for best actress. For her performance in the 1998
film "Gods and Monsters," Redgrave won a Golden Globe
for Best Actress, and an Academy Award nomination. Her outstanding
performance as the mother of pianist David Helfgott in "Shine"
earned Redgrave a nomination for British Academy Awards Best Supporting
Actress. Among her many notable roles: The Queen in Woody Allen's
"Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex (1972), the
title role in "The Happy Hooker" (1975), Mrs. Warren's
Profession for which she won a 1976 Tony, Ann Anderson in "House
Calls" (1981) for which she received Emmy and Golden Globe
nominations, "Death of a Son" for which she won the 1989
BBC Best Television Actress award.
Redgrave currently stars in the late night comedy series "Rude
Awakening" and the miniseries "Different."
Suzi Hofrichter (Amy Walsh)
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ten-year-old Suzi
Hofrichter captured the attention of director Michael Kalesniko
and producer Nancy M. Ruff after Ruff viewed her performance in
the Disney television production of "The Christmas Tree,"
directed by Sally Field and starring Julie Harris. Hofrichter portrayed
Harris as a young girl. She has been featured in several television
commercials including a national "My McDonalds" ad and
appeared extensively in print advertisements for such diverse organizations
as the Food Bank of Pittsburgh, Kaufmann's, Hills Department Store,
Rite Aid Pharmacy, and was featured on the Western Express Catalog
cover. An active youngster, Hofrichter has studied voice, baton,
tap and jazz and has interests in swimming, diving, ice-skating
and cycling. A natural talent, Suzy Hofrichter is one performer
to watch. She has a bright future on the big screen.
Jared Harris (False Peter)
With five upcoming films and roles in such critically
acclaimed movies as "I Shot Andy Warhol," "Sunday"
and "Happiness," Jared Harris has garnered the reputation
of playing varied and unique characters with continued success and
high regard. He recently wrapped production on the independent film
"Lush, which he stars in with Campbell Scott and Laura Linney.
He also completed production on the independent film, "The
Weekend," based on Peter Cameron's highly acclaimed novel of
the same name.
Harris has also completed production on Director Hu Xiao Ping's
" Shadow Magic," shot entirely on location in China. In
it, Harris stars as Raymond Wallace, a down-on-his-luck nickelodeon
man who visits China with the West's latest invention on him -the
moving picture. He also completed production on the indie film "Bullfighter,"
and will appear in Danish recording star Rune Bendixen's directorial
debut along with Donnie Wahlberg, Willem Dafoe and Michael Parks.
For his memorable appearance in Todd Solondz's critically acclaimed
black comedy, "Happiness," as a Russian cab driver opposite
Jane Adams, Lara Flynn Boyle and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Harris
helped to earn the cast the 1999 National Board of Review Acting
Ensemble Award.
Harris made his breakthrough performance in the 1996 critically
acclaimed independent film, "I Shot Andy Warhol." The
film starred Harris as Warhol, with Lili Taylor playing the role
of his would-be -assassin, Valerie Solanas. In 1997, Harris received
rave reviews for his work in two films at the Sundance Film Festival.
He played a New York homeless man in Jonathan's Nossiter's "
Sunday," which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and a prize
for its Screenwriting. He also produced " Hurricane Streets,
" which took home the festival prize for Audience Award, Cinematography
and Best Director (Morgan J. Freeman).
Other film credits include "Father's Day " with Billy
Crystal and Robin Williams, "Dead Man " with Johnny Depp
and "Far and Away " in which he was cast as Tom Cruise's
brother. Harris also joined the ensemble of Wayne Wang and Paul
Auster's acclaimed "Smoke" as Harvey Keitel's simple side-kick.
Harris, the son of famed Irish actor Richard Harris, was born in
London, England, and educated at Duke University where he was a
Drama and Literature major. After graduating, Harris returned to
England to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. While
on vacation in New York in 1990, Harris auditioned for, and won,
the role of Hotspur in the New York Shakespeare Company Harris also
starred with Val Kilmer and Jeanne Trippelhorn in the 1992 production
of "Tis'Pity She's A Whore" at the Public Theater. In
1995 ::e won an Obie award for his performance in the off-Broadway
production of "Ecstasy."
Harris currently resides in New York City.
Peter Riegert (Larry)
A native of New York City, Peter Riegert has worked
both in film and television. He recently completed "Passion
of Mind," a romantic thriller about a woman who leads a double
life in her dreams. He starred in "Scandalous Me: The Jacqueline
Susann Story," and in "High Life," a film about gambling.
Riegert stars opposite Stockard Channing in "The Baby Dance."
They portray a young couple desperate to have a child, desperate
enough to try almost anything. Laura Dern also stars.
As Stanley in "Jerry & Tom," a story of moonlighting
hitmen, Riegert stars opposite Joe Mantagna and Sam Rockwell. Other
television credits include" "Face Down," "An
Element of Truth," ""Gypsy," and the television
series "Middle Ages," and "Ellis Island," to
name a few. Riegert made notable guest appearances on the "Seinfeld,"
"Law & Order," and "M*A*S*H*." For film,
Riegert appeared in "National Lampoon Goes to the Movies,"
and "Animal House."
David Krumholtz (Brian Sellars)
At the age of 21, David Krumholz is well on his
way to becoming one of today's most accomplished young actors. He
made his Broadway debut at age 13 as Young Charlie in "Conversations
with My Father," appearing with Tony Award winner Judd Hirsch.
He went on to perform in seven films and numerous television roles.
David Krumholz was recently seen in " Ten Things I hate About
You " opposite Julia Stiles for Touchstone. He got the role
hot off the heels of his remarkable performance in "Slums of
Beverly Hills" opposite Natasha Lyonne. As Natasha Lyonne's
character's older brother, Ben Abramowitz, David gives the scene
stealing performance where he sings Sinatra in his underwear. David
Krumholz can next be seen in Barry Levinson's film "Liberty
Heights" for Warner Bros. He made his big screen debut in the
comedy "Life with Mickey" opposite Nathan Lane and Michael
J. Fox. He played Barry Corman, the obnoxious child star. Directly
after that, he portrayed Christina Ricci's love interest Joel Glicker
in "Addams Family Values." His other film credits include
Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm" and Tim Allen's "The Santa
Clause" as Bernard, the elf who guides Tim Allen through the
North Pole.
His numerous television credits include series regular roles on
FOX's "Monty" opposite David Schwimmer and NBC's "Chicago
Suns" as well as guest appearance on "Law & Order."
He made his Broadway debut at age 13 as Young Charlie in "Conversations
With My Father," appearing with Tony Award winner Judd Hirsch.
He just completed shooting the pilot "People Who Fear People"
for ABC and Paramount.
Jonathan Schaech (Adam)
Jonathan Schaech will see his career escalate to
new heights in 1999 as one of the hottest young talents in Hollywood
today. Born and raised in Edgewood, Maryland, Schaech entered the
University of Maryland to study economics but abruptly changed career
paths, leaving the intended life as a lawyer behind in Baltimore
and moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Upon his
arrival, Schaech sought out and studied with famed coach Roy London
for four years.
Currently, Schaech stars in the new Fox series "Time of Your
Life," opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt. This past pilot season,
Jonathan starred as a young cop in the new CBS drama "Partners,"
produced by Keyser-Lippman (Party of Five). He will next be seen
in Gregg Araki's newest film "Splendor," which was screened
at this year's Sundance Film Festival and will be released this
fall.
1998 was a breakthrough year for Jonathan as he starred in five
very different roles. He costarred with Jessica Lange and Gwyneth
Paltrow in the Tristar thriller, "Hush." He also appeared
in "Welcome to Woop Woop" for director Stephan Elliot("The
Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert")as an irresistible
New York con man who flees to Australia hoping to escape his troubles.
Last fall, Jonathan was seen in two films which hit the festival
circuit. The Toronto Film Festival entry "Graceland,"
opposite Harvey Keitel in the story of an eccentric drifter (Keitel),
claiming to be Elvis Presley. He also starred opposite Guy Pearce
and Emily Lloyd in the director Roberta Hanley's "Woundings,"
which appeared at the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles. Also, in
December, Jonathan appeared as the legendary Harry Houdini in "Harry
Houdini," directed by Pen Densham (Moll Flanders), which aired
on TNT.
Schaech took a giant leap from his first small role in Webber's
"15 Minutes," to a leading man in Franco Zefferelli's
"The Sparrow," which was filmed in Sicily and released
internationally. He then starred in Greg Araki's "The Doom
Generation" and landed the role of Winona Ryder's love interest
in "How to make an American Quilt." Jonathan also starred
as the serious-minded lead singer and song writer Jimmy, in the
Tom Hanks scripted and directed film "That Thing You Do."
Jonathan is quickly earning a reputation as one of the most sought
after actors of his generation. With his extraordinary talent and
stunning good looks, one never has to wonder why.
Lucinda Jenney (Trim Walsh)
The new millennium has proven to be a busy time
for this popular actress, with no less than four projects already
completed. She recently starred in the independent feature "Crime
and Punishment in High School," directed by Rob Schmidt, starring
Ellen Barkin and James DeBello, and in "Desert Blue,"
written and directed by Morgan J. Freeman, a comedy about an academic
whose obsession with roadside attractions leads to a strange adventure.
Other recent projects include "Remember the Titans," and
"Thirteen Days." Her impressive list of motion picture
credits includes "Practical Magic," directed by Griffin
Dunne, "Deep End of the Ocean," starring Michele Pfeiffer,
"What Dreams May Come," with Robin Williams and "G.I.
Jane," opposite Demi Moore. For her work in Avenue Pictures
"American Heart," Ms. Jenney was nominated for an IFP
Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress.
For the small screen, Jenney has guest starred on several popular
television series including NYPD Blue, "Homicide: Life on the
Street," and "Spenser: For Hire." She was a series
regular on ABC's "High Incident," with a recurring role
on "The Visitor" for Fox.
A seasoned stage performer, Lucinda Jenney has appeared at the Williamstown
Theater Festival and the New York Shakespeare Festival
Peri Gilpin (Debra Selhany)
Peri Gilpin is perhaps best known for her comedic
portrayal of Roz Doyle, Dr. Crane's sarcastic but lovable radio
producer on the Emmy-Award winning "Frasier."
Born in Waco, Texas, Peri Gilpin grew up in Dallas. She studied
at the Dallas Theater Center, moving on to further her theatrical
studies at the University of Texas at Austin and then at London's
British-American Academy.
Ms. Gilpin has guest-starred on many of televisions most popular
situation comedies including "Designing Women," "Cheers,"
"Matlock," "Outer Limits," and "Wings."
Prior to joining the cast of "Frasier," she starred on
two NBC series as a regular - "Local Heros," and "Flesh
and Blood."
With an impressive list of stage credits Peri Gilpin has performed
in Los Angeles in productions of "The Maderati," and "Women
of Manhattan," and on the New York stage in "Lucky Lucy
and the Fortune Man," and "Don Juan."
***************
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Michael Kalesniko (writer/director)
Michael Kalesniko wrote the screenplay for "Howard
Stern's Private Parts," a Paramount picture released in 1997.
He recently completed "The Patsy" for Bill Mechanic's
Pandaemonium and "Bad Timing" for Steve Reuther's Bel
Air Pictures.
Kalesniko has done rewrite work for Will Smith, Billy Crystal and
Danny DeVito as well as Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment.
Kalesniko previously wrote and directed the award winning short
"Algorithms." He won the Nissan FOCUS award for screenwriting
in 1990. He will next be directing "Cock 'n Bull," from
his own script. His partner in Lonsdale Productions, Nancy M. Ruff,
is producing. She previously produced "How To Kill Your Neighbor's
Dog."
Kalesniko was born in Trail, British Columbia, Canada. He received
his B.A. in Writing from the University of Victoria in 1985 and
his B.A. in film and video production from Columbia College Hollywood
in 1990. He has worked at various times as a reporter, a gravedigger,
a high school English teacher in the arctic and a bartender in London,
England.
Robert Redford (executive producer)
Avi Lerner (co-executive producer)
Avi Lerner is co-chairman of Nu Image Inc., the film distribution
company which owns Millennium Films.
Willi Baer (co-executive producer)
Nancy M. Ruff (producer)
Nancy M. Ruff and writer/director Michael Kalesniko are partners
in Lonsdale Productions. Projects in development at Lonsdale include
"Cock en Bull" and "Hangman." Past producing
projects include "Spoiler" and "Hangups" and
Kalesniko's award-winning short, "Algorithms." Ruff has
produced numerous short films and recently completed "Wrinkle."
Ruff has worked in various capacities on a number of projects, including
narrative, educational media, cable production, sporting events
and experimental/performance art. She produced a series of one-act
plays, directing one, Baiting. In 1997 she co-founded and was executive
director of the inaugural Los Angeles Short Film Festival. She is
a South Jersey native now living in Glendale, California.
Brad Weston (producer)
Brad Weston has experience in marketing, development and production.
No longer with Millennium, Weston is now at Dimension Films.
Michael Nozik (producer)
Hubert Taczanowski (director of photography)
Hubert Taczanowski is an extremely talented and well-respected cinematographer.
Some of his credits include "How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog,"
"Turn It Up," "Break Up," "The Opposite
of Sex," "Buddy Boy" and "The Young Poisoner's
Handbook." He served as director of photography on the television
series "Sins of the City," and on T.V.'s "Last Exit
to Earth." Born in Poland, he now resides in New York city.
Stephen J. Lineweaver (production designer)
Stephen Lineweaver most recently served as production designer for
Millennium Films' "Loving Lulu." His resume includes many
notable design credits for such films as "The Other Sister,"
"Jerry Maguire," "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls."
He also created the look for City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's
Gold," "This Boy's Life and "Singles." Lineweaver's
credits as art director are for such films as "Dirty Dancing,"
"Something Wild," and "After Hours." He has
served as a visual consultant for television's "The Simpsons"
and "The Tracey Ullman Show."
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